New Tank!

[Ron]

OK, I took the plunge and purchased a BC29 added RO water. Last night I put sand in it & I guess I should have rinsed it b/c it really foamed up and I couldn't see a thing! Well I let it stand overnight and it was still milky in the morning, so I turned on the filter this morning and now (24 hrs after I added the sand) it is still milky, but slightly clearer...

A few questions:

Is there something more I need to do or will this clen up on its own?
Will the hydrometer read correctly with the water in this state?

Thanks,

Ron

[Phurst]

Yes, it will clear on it's own. You could add a filter sock to the system, but for the most part, the finer particles will slip right through it. The hydrometer reading should be as acurate as it will ever be :roll:

[V]

welcome ron, arrr the sound of new people resinating through-out the TR halls:D welcome aboard explorer.

i might suggest you rinse all products & equiptment before eddition, however if it has a "live" title, best left away from the water soakings. Unless of course its tank water in a bucket.

Even though you can test with your hydrometer (nice poke Phurst:tongue2: even over-cooked people like myself can have hold on to these fossiles.) its not worth doing much till you can see. & then you have a fine layer after settlements that are easily stired up again when you place some rockwork in. Personally, i prefer to suck this layer out with a gravel washer & call it a day.

[CarmieJo]

Very nice! I agree, the sandstorm shall pass.

[Phurst]

(nice poke Phurst:tongue2: even over-cooked people like myself can have hold on to these fossiles.)

I meant that in a light-hearted way, I still have one too.....

The truth of the matter is, as long as someone's aware that they're not super accurate, I have no problem with people using them. Especialy new reefers, as 1) They're less espensive. Not much in this hobby is cheap, but a hydrometer is one of them. If the person decides they really enjoy the hobby, and are going to stick with it, then they can choose to go spend $50 - $100 on a refractometer. 2) IMO, in the beginning, consitancy is more important than accuracy. A hydrometer may not be the most accurate device, but it should still yield consistant readings.

Anyway, totaly off-topic. Welcome Ron, keep us up to date on how the tank is doing :up:

[Ron]

Thanks Phurst!
You can bet I'm not dropping $100 on a refractometer at this point! I can have the LFS check for me too and just adjust based on that reading...

Anyway, I can see farther into the tank this morning so things are looking up a bit.
Will there be a fine layer of dust on top of the sand that I should remove?

[Phurst]

Will there be a fine layer of dust on top of the sand that I should remove?

It's all personal preference, really. I didn't siphon it out of my tank, and haven't had any problems, but it won't hurt anything if you do. there are pros and cons either way.

If it's pretty fine sand anyway, it may not be real easy to siphon out the dust and leave the sand (crushed coral, and larger grain sand won't be as difficult), and, if it's aragonite (calcium carbonate) based, these tiny particles will be the first to disolve, boosting your buffering capacity and calcium levels.

On the other hand, the sand will be easier to stir up if you leave the dust, and it can eventualy block filters, pumps and what have you.

[CarmieJo]

I found it almost impossible to siphon it out without getting a bunch of sand. Blow your rocks off before you do water changes and you will be able to remove some of it then. At first you will find that the dust gets stirred up easily but after a couple of months it does not get stirred up as easily and settles out more quickly.

[V]

i dont consider sand in the same league as gold, so factor the wastage, or contend with settlement periods longer. Arrr its the choice that make this world great!